Woman describes how she helped nab robbery suspect in N. Houston

Amber Tomkins talks about how she took down an armed man at a Taco Bell last month. (KTRK)

KTRK

Marla Carter

Sunday, January 03, 2016

HOUSTON (KTRK) --

A woman who helped stop a robbery suspect in northwest Houston is speaking about it only with 13 Eyewitness News.

It happened at a Taco Bell at Tidwell and Holister just days before Christmas. Amber Tompkins was inside the Taco Bell just waiting for her girlfriend to get off work. She says it was about 3am when a man came in with a rifle.

"I was actually sitting down behind the wall," said Amber Tomkins. "I never saw them come in. What actually caught my attention was the Hispanic woman who took off running. When I saw her hit the door, I got up. That's when I heard all the commotion and saw my girlfriend stand against the wall like this, like her life flashed before her eyes and I saw the guy. By this time, the other co-worker's husband bear-hugged him and he dropped the rifle and I hit the corner and I just started hitting him in the head as hard as I could with the laptop."

That suspect, Rodale Scranton, was taken into custody and is due in court in a couple of weeks. As for Tompkins she says she would do it again, not just for her girlfriend but for anyone.